Wings On Wednesday
by CxXxDarkWolf5xXxD
Summary: Superhero AU - Castiel meets a bartender who reminds him of a certain masked man and Inferno AKA Dean gets ambushed by the villains, and it's up to the new hero on the block to save him. Dean/Castiel Pre-slash to soon be slash.


**Title:** Wings on Wednesday

**Author:** darkwolf5

**Rating:** Pg-13

**Wordcount:** 2,698

**Warnings:** Some blood, swearwords.

**Pairing/Characters:** Dean/Castiel Pre-slash. The rest are a secret. Except for Crowley.

**Summary:** _AU - Part of my superhero series - "I'm- I am...On your side and that is all you need to know right now." The guy with wings looked genuinely stuck on what to say for a second before he shook his head slightly. "Think of me as the one who...gripped you tight and raised you from almost certain death."_

**Edited to note:** Previous stories in this verse (called _**Mondays**_ and _**There's always tomorrow**__  
_

**Wings on Wednesday.**

Castiel didn't drink (in the alcohol sense) very often and when he did he didn't drink much, it just wasn't something he particularly enjoyed doing. On Tuesday he feels like making an exception which is how he finds himself sat at a bar, staring at an empty glass as he trails patterns with his fingers in the condensation still gathered there.

He was thinking, mostly (about Inferno, superheroes, vigilantes and newspaper interviews), It had been raining almost non-stop for the last few days, and he hadn't seen Inferno since their short exchange of words the previous Monday. He feared he may be more attached to the superhero then he should be, knew he was.

He supposed that if he did choose to utilize his powers, to put on the costume which was still hidden in his home, then he might be able to see Inferno more often. The problem then would be that Inferno wouldn't even know it was him. He didn't want to turn into some sort desperate stalker hiding behind a mask, he was sure the hero had enough of them already.

"Dude, you gonna sit there staring all night or can I get you a re-fill?" A voice pulled Castiel out of his thoughts and he looked up only to find himself gazing directly into a pair of large green eyes. He can't help staring for a few seconds at the strangely familiar face in front of him before stuttering out an answer (and he blames the stutter quite firmly on the drink).

"I don't think that would be a very good idea. I have to drive -" Castiel was cut off by the other mans chuckle and he was once again distracted by a not all unwelcome feeling of familiarity that made him frown. He looked the other man up and down. He was slightly taller than Castiel, by what the journalist could gather when sitting down, and his name tag read **DEAN** in large bold letters. Dean. It suited him.

"Seriously? You've had like...nothing to drink. One more glass isn't gonna hurt." Dean was grinning, and Castiel just could not shake the feeling that the same warm smile had been directed at him before. But that was stupid, just wishful thinking. "Tell you what, don't tell the other customers cause then they'll all want one, but I'll give it to you on the house. You look like you need it. And hey, you can always call a cab, trust me when I say your car is safe here till morning."

Dean's good cheer is infectious and Castiel finds himself agreeing before he even means too.

xxXxx

When Castiel walked into the bar Dean was most definitely taken by surprise. They worked in the same city, sure, but the city was huge and the possibility that Cas lived nearby to one of his less...secretive workplaces hadn't crossed Dean's mind. It should make him nervous but if it meant he got to talk to Cas more he wouldn't complain.

Castiel was staring up at him with a curious look on his face, same large blue eyes and same annoying tan trench coat slung over his shoulders, like he was looking up at some intensely strange puzzle that he couldn't quite solve. Dean chuckled. Some things never changed he supposed. Thank god.

He found himself offering Cas a drink, deciding that if they were friends (even if Cas didn't know it) it was the least he could do.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt." Castiel seemed to choose his words carefully, running his fingers distractedly over the edge of his empty glass. Dean couldn't help the grin that lit up his face, Cas really did look like he needed it. Made Dean wonder what the hell was getting him down, not that it was really his place to ask, not him, maybe if he was inferno but not as Dean. "Thank you."

"Hey, don't worry about it; it is my job to supply the drinks." Dean nodded, turning to do just that and choosing exactly the wrong moment to glance up at the TV playing the news quietly in the corner. He caught a glimpse of his brother's face, but it was quickly replaced with that of Masquerade. He grimaced.

A robbery or something. Some people had been injured pretty badly.

"Son of a bitch."

"It's awful isn't it." Cas's voice was rough and Dean glanced at him.

"Tell me about it. I just wish there was someone out there to stop it y'know? The whole fucking city is crumbling." Dean couldn't help the vicious look he threw the TV, he had some personal reasons to hate Masquerade as well...

"There is someone out there." Castiel's eyes were locked onto the new images on the screen, the channel was playing a video some amateur had caught on their mobile of 'Inferno' leaping across buildings in pursuit of the purple masked villain. He snorted in slight amusement at Cas's blind faith in someone who's face he hadn't even knowingly seen.

"How much can one guy do against a city full of villains, I mean don't get me wrong I think it's worth trying, but how much of a difference is it gonna make?" Dean slid a new drink over to the journalist who looked back at him, a slightly troubled expression etched into his face.

"Quite a lot, I think." Castiel glanced at the drink, before downing it in one and getting to his feet. He looked for all the world like something was really troubling him now. "It was nice meeting you Dean."

"Yeah you too Cas."

Dean froze slightly at his own words. Shit. He hadn't told Dean his name. If Cas figured out who he was from one small slip of the tongue...

"Did I-" Castiel frowned like before shaking his head and running a hand lightly through his hair. "Sorry, I- never mind...Thank you for the drink."

xxXxx

What difference could one man make. What difference. Castiel realised that Dean had a point. He'd spent so much time believing blindly that inferno could handle it all but...the words had hit him harder than they should have. Inferno was on his own, just like him, and Castiel had never once tried to help, tried to shoulder the burden that must come with such a tiresome occupation.

He drinks more then he should and ends up getting a Cab home after all. (He trusted Dean for reasons he couldn't quite place, and if he said the car would be there in the morning Castiel would believe him.)

When he drags himself into his apartment that night Castiel finally takes the costume that has been sitting unused for weeks in his wardrobe out of its box and tries it on. The blue frames his eyes and makes them stand out brighter than ever. He doesn't look like himself, looks like someone better, which is exactly what he's aiming for. Maybe one man couldn't do much but perhaps two could make a difference...

xxXxx

Dean meets Castiel's superhero self on a Wednesday which is strange because normally all the bad stuff happens on Mondays (Meeting Castiel is not the bad thing, Castiel is in fact one of the few good things, the rest of the day had been terrible.) Dean had rules, one of these rules determined that the bad stuff always happened on Mondays. It just did. Even superheroes hated the start of the week.

The first thing Castiel hears from Inferno whilst in costume is a rather unmanly squeak (according to Inferno) that the other hero will deny for the rest of his life. Inferno maintains it wasn't his fault... he hated flying, and flying on days that happened to be resemblant of Mondays was the ultimate recipe for a huge disaster.

It's the bit before that which really makes the day suck.

There was blood sprayed across the roof top, a dark splatter of red in the gray. Normally a little wound like the slice in his side wouldn't throw Inferno off but it was quite deep, making some movements difficult, and with him being outnumbered three to one he was starting to wonder if he'd maybe bitten off more than he could chew.

Masquerade was lounging back against the door to the rooftop, watching as The Dealer and The Demon circled Inferno, a small twisted smile on her face.

Inferno had a hand clutched tightly over his injury, fingers stained bright red, covering a matching wound for the one he'd given masquerade the other night.

"What's wrong Inferno? Did we catch you by surprise; guess you didn't expect me to bring company huh?" Masquerade was twirling a knife round, the sharp point mostly ineffective against the extra padded material of her gloves. "You really think I'd come alone after our last encounter?"

"No offence but you don't exactly scream 'brightest crayon in the pack'. Thought I'd be fine." Inferno backed away slowly towards the drop behind him, palms tingling with warmth, ready to attack if he needed too. He stopped when he reached the slightly raised edge of the roof and took a deep breath. Maybe Wednesdays sucked too. "And hey, three against one isn't exactly fair."

"Aww, you really thought we'd play fair? " Masquerade let out a quite laugh. Her eyes weren't laughing, her eyes promised death. "We're the bad guys, hot stuff; playing fair isn't exactly in the job description."

"Ever think this was my plan, get caught and take all three of you down?" When in doubt bluff and hope to god it made the enemy falter or at least pause long enough to create an escape route.

"Now now Inferno, I know that look on you." The Demon chuckled, low and unforgiving, Inferno's attention snapping to focus on the sound. He shuddered. If there was one villain Inferno could go a million lifetimes without ever hearing again it was this one. "Trying to be brave when there's nowhere to run. What are you going to do? Make us all warm and toasty?"

"Screw you." Inferno swallowed, he was right. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to go but down. He glanced behind him, stomach turning at the thought of falling, but he didn't have much of a choice. "I have plenty of places to run."

"Now now, don't do anything outstandingly stupid Inferno." The Demon opened his mouth to say something else, eyes dark with threat, but Inferno didn't hear the words.

Nowhere to go but down. He took a breath, No people below, so...

He turned round and flung himself of the edge of the building, fire erupting on his palms and crashing into the ground as he tried to slow the fall (He found himself wishing he'd payed more attention in physics which would be a pretty sad thought to die with), when the familiar tug of painful power, the slice of some invisible blade, knocked his concentration. The Demon was using his powers, he was right, Inferno was screwed.

He closed his eyes, bracing himself for impact, when something warm collided into him, a pair of arms wrapping around his waist and pulling him up and away from imminent death.

"It is highly unadvisable to jump from tall buildings with no second plan." The voice was a deep growl , and Inferno peeled his eyes open to see what in the hell had just happened, before flailing in his saviours arms and making that noise mentioned earlier that he would deny forever. "You have also made a horrific scorch mark on the sidewalk."

"Dude, what the fuck? Let me go, Jesus you don't just grab someone out of midair." Inferno shifted slightly, trying to find a way to feel more secure short of cuddling the other guy. He was also trying pointedly not to look at the drop below. He really hoped they weren't going to crash. His stomach turned at the thought of falling again and he swallowed. Wednesdays were definitely higher on his list of shitty days all of a sudden. "Actually don't let me go but seriously. What the hell?"

"Would you rather I let you plummet to your death?" Rough voice asked, before swerving in the air at a ridiculous speed towards a nearby rooftop free of Masquerade and her minions. God if Inferno had to spend one more day on a rooftop he was going to punch someone, why the **hell** did Masquerade and her gang like heights so much?

The stranger deposited Inferno onto solid ground, far enough away that they were probably safe, and Inferno let out a long breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "No but a little warning would have been nice-"

He would have said more if he wasn't so taken aback at what he saw now he actually had a chance to get a clear look at the other person. Wings. His mysterious saviour had wings that stretched out behind him, large and dark feathered, shifting minutely in the air. He watched as they folded in close to the other mans back, almost long enough to touch the floor, taking a step back. "whoa."

"I hardly think there was time for a warning." Winged guy gave a small fond smile that mostly showed in the blue of his eyes. Inferno shook his head slightly.

"I- Touché." He swallowed, trying to look at least slightly dignified rather then still vaguely terrified and holding back the urge to throw up, running a hand through spiked up hair to try and calm himself (the sheer amount of hair product he went through trying to keep his identity secret was ridiculous.) "Who the hell are you anyway?"

"I'm- I am...On your side and that is all you need to know right now." The guy with wings looked genuinely stuck on what to say for a second before he shook his head slightly. "Think of me as the one who...gripped you tight and raised you from almost certain death."

Inferno let out a snort of laughter. "Yeah you definitely did that."

The angel nodded, before his eyes dropped to the wound in Infernos side. "You're hurt."

"I'll live." He replied quietly. He was used to stitching his own wounds, but it was nice to see that at least someone else cared. "You gonna be sticking around feathers?"

"It looked like you could use some help." The angel nodded, a short precise movement, and Inferno found himself strangely grateful about that.

xxXxx

"Well that was different." The Dealer frowned, watching as Inferno disappeared into the distance in the arms of a winged stranger. He shrugged suddenly a turned to masquerade. Weirder things had happened. "Hey, how come you get all the fun, I can't get a word in edgeways."

"And what would you say hmm?" Masquerade tilted her head. "Your powers hardly work on him anyway Crowley baby."

"You say that but give me five minutes and I'd have him crawling over to our side. And don't use real names sweetheart, you never know who's listening, and apparently the opposition have wings now, which is just bloody wonderful." Crowley turned to look across the view of the city, frowning, and froze when another voice joined the conversation.

"No you don't know, which is why you need to be more careful." A shadow stepped into view, one that hadn't been there a minute ago, a dark shape in a white suit. "We need him out of the way, either on our side or dead, we can't have Inferno screwing this up guys."

"So you finally decided to show up then, now there's no danger." The Demon looked openly disappointed. "I thought your girlfriend taught you better than that."

"I had some research to do. The point still stands. Inferno is dangerous."

"And you would know, because you're all knowing the expert on Inferno, just the be all and end all of superhero knowledge huh?" masquerade frowned.

"I know more than you do." The shadow in a white suit looked up, green eyes sad. "I just wish he'd stop and listen to us because otherwise he's gonna end up dead."

**TBC (Probably)**

**Huge wordy authors note** - This is not beta-read (clearly). I know people have offered before but I take so long between chapters that I'm always too shy by the time it comes to post to ask if the offer still stands, so you'll have to put up with my atrocious misuse of commas (if there is one) and bad spellings (if there are any – My problem is that I genuinely can't tell.)

As per usual constructive criticism is always welcome! Sorry it's taken so long, I've been very busy, but I'm finally writing again. Feel free to guess at which villain is who!

I can't write summaries anymore either – oh the horror of it.

The characterisations in this are generally based on season 4 and previous (maybe some five). I'm still working up the courage to watch seasons six and seven.

See this is what happens when I go away for a long time. I can't. Stop. Typing.


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